


Fallout: Atomic Renegade

by CommonwealthCharlie



Series: Fallout: Atomic Renegade [1]
Category: Fallout (Video Games), Fallout 3, Fallout 4, Fallout: New Vegas
Genre: Canon-Typical Violence, Multi, References to Depression
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-04-22
Updated: 2017-05-10
Packaged: 2018-10-22 12:24:38
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 6
Words: 7,462
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10696968
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CommonwealthCharlie/pseuds/CommonwealthCharlie
Summary: When Ronnie Luck wakes up 200 years post-apocalypse, he never expects to live anything close to a normal life again. However, after he runs into his old pal Codsworth and meets up with a new band of misfits known as the Courier, the Lone Wanderer, and a strange blond-haired woman, he knows his life will never be the same again.





	1. Codsworth, My Oldest Friend

“Sir? Are you quite alright?”

Three weeks it had been since I came back to this world. Back to the home that I thought I knew so well. The initial shock stayed with me long after I’d clambered back down from the hilltop and into what once was my Sanctuary. There I had run back into an old friend; the one friend I could count on to be there for me. The only friend I had anymore.

I looked over to the metal frame leaning over me, hovering inches off the ground. The heat of the thruster keeping him afloat warmed my skin from where I lay on an old mattress. I reached up and brushed some of my long, brunette hair from my face and smiled up at the ocular orbs looking down at me.

“I’m alright, Codsworth. Thank you.”

That was all the friendly robot needed. His metal eye stalks moved back into their normal spot, and he popped up in the air a moment, a clear sign of delight. I couldn’t help but smile at the gesture.

 “Oh, good! I was worried, master Ronnie, that something was the matter. I’ve got your tea heated up to the perfect temperature! Shall I bring it to you?”

Master Ronnie. It was still so strange to hear him say that, even after over two-hundred years. I chuckled lightly and closed my eyes a moment, memories flooding my mind of before everything changed. I knew that if I lay there much longer I would slip back into the depression that had me bedridden for so many days already. Taking in a deep breath, I opened my eyes again, looking up at the hole-riddled ceiling of my old home. I pulled the frayed blanket off my body and sat up, swinging my legs over the side of the half-broken bed.

“No, that’s alright, buddy. I’m up.”

I could hear the circuitry inside Codsworth whir as he bounced up in the air once more, before turning in place, floating out of the room and down the hall. I followed along, taking one look back at the bad for a moment before I left the room.

“Master Ronnie, what a good day this is! I was worried you would be bedridden another day. You seem to be in much better spirits today than you have been prior. Might I ask, er… how are you feeling?”

Codsworth went straight for the tough questions, but I appreciated his ability to care. Even before the war he had always had my best interest in mind, although I never knew if he actually cared, or if it was just how he was programed. I liked to think it was the former, although I was aware that robots didn’t tend to think entirely independently. Especially now, it just made him seem more… alive. He helped me not to feel so alone.

Before answering his question, I took a seat at the bar in my old kitchen, Codsworth wasting no time in bringing a steaming mug of tea over to me. I took a moment to look at the mug, faded and chipped. The tea inside, however, looked just as good as I remembered. I took a sip and set the mug back on the counter. As the warm liquid moved down my throat I felt a sense of happiness begin to fill my body. It brought back good memories; something rare anymore.

Finally I looked up to Codsworth. For some reason I imagined him with a little mustache glued to the front of his spherical frame, and I smiled. Maybe one day.

“I’m feeling good, Codsworth. This tea is phenomenal. Just like before… um, just like always.”

Codsworth looked to me and, had he an actual face, I’m sure he would’ve smiled. I smiled back at him, and then turned to look towards my old living room. The glass in the windows had long since been blasted out, nearly all of the furniture was in ruins, and most of the outer panels were either completely rusted or fallen off. Codsworth had started cleaning it up ever since I’d come back, but it was a lot for even him to take care of. The house wasn’t safe, and I knew that. But I didn’t know where to go.

Well, that, or I couldn’t leave. I think it was more of the latter.

I heard a sigh come from Codsworth and turned back to look at him, a frown coming over my face. I knew that sound meant he was about to tell me something he thought I wouldn’t like.

“Master Ronnie… I am worried about you.”

The look on my face must not have been the reaction he’d expected, because he perked up a bit more. In truth, I really had not expected him to say that, so the look on my face likely mirrored the shock and confusion I felt inside.

“What I mean, sir, is that you have been back for twenty-five days now. And I am very happy that you have returned! But you… do not seem happy, sir. While I am delighted to provide you companionship and entertainment, I worry that it is not enough. Not only that, but our supplies are beginning to run low. That, for example, is the last bit of tea we have.”

As he finishes speaking I slowly look down at the mug of tea before me. What he says is true enough, and I know that. I am thankful to have Codsworth there, and for the past three weeks he has not left my side longer than a matter of moments unless I’d wished it. But the world was different, and the people were different. I was frightened, in truth, and felt alone. Codsworth and Sanctuary were the only knowns in the new world.

But, as Codsworth had mentioned the supplies, I knew that it was not what I needed. Not what either of us needed. And it would not last. There was a whole new world out there to explore; a new world full of new people, new things, and new possibilities. It was also full of old things, and memories of the past. Some painful, some pleasant. And I knew, looking down at the last bit of tea in our supplies, that I had to overcome that fear, and seek out my new future.

I picked up the mug of tea and looked to Codsworth. The frown faded from my face, replaced by a confident smile, to which Codsworth perked up lightly. I nodded to him.

“You’re right, buddy. The whole world is out there, waiting to be explored. And that is exactly what we are going to do.”

As I took another drink of the tea, feeling more rejuvenated than I had in weeks, I watched Codsworth bounce happily in the air, chuckling lightly.

“Oh, master Ronnie, that’s excellent! Er, but might I ask, what do you mean by ‘we’?”

I can’t help but smile, lowering the mug of tea back to the counter. I lean back in my chair a bit, keeping my eyes on Codsworth. I raise a hand up, motioning to him.

“What, did you think I’d leave you behind again, buddy? If I’m going out there, I want you by my side. We both deserve more than this. That is, as long as you want to come with me.”

I received another positive reaction, Codsworth chuckling as his lower half spun around in place for a moment. I couldn’t help but chuckle as well as I watched him.

“Oh, of course, sir! I would be delighted to keep you company as you traveled. To be fair, I’ve grown a bit tired of scrubbing the same rust spots, anyway. Pah!”

We both share a bit of laughter as I stand up, not bothering to push my chair in. I down the last of the tea, and set the mug back onto the counter, looking to my companion with a smile. Turning, I take one more look around the ruined remains of my former home, before turning back to Codsworth once more.

“Well, let’s go, shall we?”

 

┌──────────────────────────────┐

**NEW COMPANION:** CODSWORTH

└──────────────────────────────┘

 

┌──────────────────────────────┐

**NEW MAIN QUEST:** ADVENTURES CUT SHORT

└──────────────────────────────┘


	2. Adventures Cut Short

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ronnie Luck, our Sole Survivor, and his new companion Codsworth finally decide it's time to leave the comforts of Sanctuary. What they find lying outside their former home may not be exactly what they expected.

This was it. This was the start of my new life, and the end of my old one. Before me was the rickety wooden bridge out of Sanctuary, and behind me was the remains of my past. For what felt like years I stood there, looking out across the bridge, letting all of the pain that had held me back for so long drain from my body. I was about to start my new life, and I was ready.

Looking beside me, I shared a look with Codsworth, before nodding and looking back before me. With a deep breath, I began to move forward onto the bridge, my body growing more and more weightless as I moved along. Perhaps it was the adrenaline of something new, but I felt good. I felt free, for the first time since I had returned to the world.

Just on the other side of the bridge, however, I got a reality check. I’d not been able to see it from the other side of the sloped bridge, but there in the middle of the road was the remains of a man and a dog. They appeared to have been dead for some time, but still recent enough. Dried blood stained the road around them, and I had to cover my mouth to keep from gagging at the sight. This was the first time I had seen a dead body before – at least, one that wasn’t embalmed in a casket.

I was in the army, deployed to fight in the war. But I never killed anyone – I was fortunate enough to never see someone die. Never see a body, lifeless, like the one before me. And although I held a gun at my hip, I quickly realized this adventure was going to be much more challenging than I originally thought.

“Sir, I’ve found something.”

Codsworth’s voice pulled me out of my thoughts, and I turned to look at him. He hovered near an old, cracked statue nearby. I took one last glance at the bodies at my feet before walking over to where Codsworth was, looking down at the ground he pointed to with one of his metal claws.

On the ground at the base of the statue was a duffel bag. It appeared relatively new, as if someone had left it there recently. For a moment I wondered who’d placed it there, but took a look back to the body on the road. I looked up to Codsworth, who just looked back at me. Taking in a deep breath, I knelt down and found the zipper, opening the duffel bag.

Inside was an old, beat up rifle and some ammunition. There was also a small pouch with a couple stimpacks and a bottle of water inside. I placed the rifle on my back, the strip snug across my chest. The ammunition I placed into the pouch with the other supplies and tied it around my waist, the pouch sitting snug at my hip opposite my holstered pistol. As I looked down at my new gear, Codsworth hovered over in front of me.

“You look like a proper explorer now, sir. And, might I say, I don’t believe anyone will stand a chance against us now that you’ve got that firepower!”

I was a bit surprised that Codsworth seemed so fine with the thought of combat, so I looked up at him with a bit of a quizzical expression. He raised one of his metal claws to the air and exclaimed “Ha ha!”, to which I had to smile. He was attempting to make light of the situation, for my benefit surely, and I had to appreciate his efforts.

Now with some proper gear, the two of us made our way down a road I’d before known so familiar. We made it to Concord without issue, passing an old Red Rocket fueling station and the corpse of a horribly mutated cow-like creature on the road. It was an uneventful trek, silence filling the air around us as we walked. The sound of leaves rustling and the occasional gunshot were the only noises noticeable to me.

As we moved into Concord I began to feel a tightening in my chest. I was a Concord native before the bombs fell, long before I’d moved to Sanctuary. I’d grown up in the town, and looking around me at all the destroyed buildings just brought back so many memories, all confused and in absolute contrast to the scene around me.

Suddenly I noticed the gunshots growing louder, coming from deeper in the town. We were rounding onto the main street when I began to notice the sounds, drawing back to reality from my memories. Nervously I pulled the rifle from my back, holding it in both hands before me. My breath was heavy and my heart raced as I moved out of the middle of the street, getting close to the buildings. I kept moving forward, glancing over my shoulder to see that Codsworth was still following me. He was silent, so I knew he was aware of the situation. I turned back forward and kept moving, the gunshots growing louder as I moved.

Just as I got to the main strip and looked around the corner there was an explosion ahead, causing me to shake lightly in surprise. I saw the old Museum of Freedom building at the end of the street, a man standing on the balcony with a large rifle-like weapon. He aimed down at a few people below him, all wearing strange gear and leather armor. There was a lot of shouting, the people on the ground firing at the man on the balcony.

My breath was heavy and I kept my gun lowered. I had to help, but I didn’t know who to help. Who was wrong here? Was it the man on the balcony, or the people in the street? Everything was so uncertain, but I had to do something.

“Wrong move, pal!”

A gruff voice behind me made me jump in surprise, and I spun around to see who’d spoken it. As I turned around, though, a gunshot rang out, and I felt a sudden pain in my chest. My ears began to ring and I looked down, seeing blood beginning to pool under my shirt. There, on my abdomen, was a gunshot wound. My vision began to blur as I looked up at my assailant, and as I dropped to my knees I saw Codsworth bash into the man, knocking him into the nearby building.

The next thing I saw was darkness all around me.

One mistake, that was all it took to bring my adventures to an end. Before it had even begun, it was over. That was the way of the wasteland; no mercy, no remorse, no cares.

But the wasteland was also full of more surprises than one.

┌──────────────────────────────┐

**QUEST COMPLETE:** ADVENTURES CUT SHORT

└──────────────────────────────┘ 

┌──────────────────────────────┐

**NEW MAIN QUEST:** A MEETING OF SURVIVORS

└──────────────────────────────┘


	3. A Meeting of Survivors

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A lucky turn of events brings our hero, Ronnie Luck, back from the brink of death.

“Don’t do that, you’re going to kill him!”

“I can’t help it – you told me to keep him stable, and this is the best I—“

“That’s not what I meant, idiot! You need to—“

“Sir, ma’am, h-he’s bleeding out, he needs your help, he needs—“

“I know what he needs, robot, I’m a fucking medic! Give me some space!”

“Grab his arms, we have to get him out of here before those fucking Raiders find us.”

“Robot, come on!”

“Master Ronnie, stay strong, you’ll make it through this, sir… you told me you wouldn’t leave again.”

Darkness. For what feels like an eternity, darkness is all that I see. It is all that I feel, and all that I know. But, slowly, a new sense comes to me. A taste; copper. And then, slowly, a smell of… metal. And then a feeling. My breath. Thoughts. I can think. I can feel.

Slowly, I open my eyes, a small amount of light breaking through the darkness. My vision is blurry and I have no idea where I am. My breath is shallow, but I am breathing. As I try to swallow my throat is so dry that I choke, coughing. The movement sends tendrils of pain shooting throughout my body and I gasp for air. I hear muffled noises, movements around me. Suddenly something dark moves into my blurred field of vision. I saw something round and reflective looking down at me, the same noise repeated over and over.

I put all my energy into focusing on that round object over me, and my hearing and vision begin to return as my breathing stabilizes.

“Sir! Sir! Sir!”

I take in another deep breath, this time easier than the first, and squint my eyes to try and make my vision clear.

“Codsworth…?”

The noise stops, and the round, reflective object over me moves back slightly. Another noise sounds.

“Ha ha!”

It all comes back to me suddenly. I look away from the round object and towards the ceiling. Codsworth. I close my eyes, trying to remember what happened to me. I run my dry tongue across the roof of my mouth, trying to find some sort of moisture. My throat burns. I feel something touch my arm and open my eyes, looking over to see the face of a man.

“Thank god you’re awake. Maybe now you can get that fucking robot to shut up. Here, open your mouth.”

I can hardly process what he’s saying to me before he shoves a plastic bottle under my lip. As he tips it up I taste water and nearly choke. Pain shoots through my body again, and I close my eyes, taking a moment to just breathe until the pain fades away. I look back over to him and nod, and he provides me more water, this time without choking.

I’m given a couple minutes to compose myself, and eventually I manage to sit up. I’m in a small, dimly lit brick room, sitting on a rickety brass-framed bed. There’s a bucket of bloody cloth near the bed, and three people sit on various pieces of furniture on the opposite end of the room. Codsworth hovers next to the bed, looking at me. A single lit lantern hanging from the middle of the ceiling lights the room.

“How are you feeling, sir?”

As Codsworth speaks I see the people across the room turn to look at me. One of them stands up – the man from before – and makes his way over to the bed. He stands on the side opposite Codsworth. I turn to Codsworth and smile lightly.

“Feel like a million bucks, Codsworth. Where am I?”

Codsworth doesn’t answer. Instead, the other man speaks. I turn to look at him, wincing lightly at how the twisting motion causes the wound in my abdomen to feel.

“Some shitty basement. Do you remember what happened?”

The man’s voice is higher pitched than I would’ve imagined, but he doesn’t sound particularly feminine. Just… caring. Yet the way he speaks makes it evident that he’s been through a lot in his years.

“I remember Concord… a man standing on the balcony outside the Museum of Freedom, shooting at some people in the streets. And then, a man, behind me… he shot me, right in the abdomen. And Codsworth…”

I turn to look at Codsworth, remembering the way he’d slammed the man into the building. I wonder if Codsworth killed the man, but don’t dare ask. I turn back to the man next to me who’d originally asked me the question.

“That’s all I remember. Did you save me?”

The man smirked, looking over at Codsworth for a moment, then back to the other two in the room – a man and a blond woman – before turning back to look at me.

“Your robot saved you. We were in Concord when you came in, but we were rummaging a nearby building, trying to find some supplies and not get in the way of the little firefight in the streets. After you got shot, your robot started freaking out. Juliette got curious and went to see what was happening. Your robot spotted her and begged her to help. It wouldn’t shut up and started drawing attention from the Raiders in the streets. So it was either help you and get out of there, or have all those Raiders on our asses. So, sure, in a way, I saved you. But if you want to thank anyone, thank your annoying robot there.”

I looked from the man and over to Codsworth. He seemed to stand up straight, almost as though he were proud of himself. I couldn’t help but smile.

“Thanks, buddy.”

Codsworth nodded – or, well, what I figure was a nod – and I turned back to the man next to me. There were so many questions on my mind.

“Well, thank you for saving me. So, uh… who are you?”

The man looked over to his two companions at the other end of the room. I follow his gaze and see the blond-haired woman stand up and start to walk towards where I am sitting. The man next to me looks back to me and sighs lightly. The woman stands next to him, looking down at me with a light smile.

“I’m Charlie, that’s Jules. And the man over there, that’s… just call him the Courier.”

 

┌──────────────────────────────┐

 **QUEST COMPLETE:** A MEETING OF SURVIVORS

└──────────────────────────────┘

 

┌──────────────────────────────┐

 **NEW MAIN QUEST:** VAULT BLUES

└──────────────────────────────┘


	4. Vault Blues

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ronnie Luck and his saviors spend the night safely in Concord, giving them a chance to know each other and bond.

For a couple hours Codsworth, Charlie, Jules, the Courier, and I stay in the little brick basement. They tell me they used the water and one of the Stimpaks in my bag to help me. Charlie gives me the other Stimpak to help get me back on my feet, and although I still feel a small twinge of pain in my chest, within an hour or so I’m able to walk and move without too much of an issue.

By the time I’m able to get back on my feet, though, it’s dark outside, and while the Courier tells us the firefight in the streets above has stopped, Jules and Codsworth agree that we should stay there until dawn. Charlie and the Courier don’t seem too keen on keeping company with Codsworth and I, but Jules seems to easily convince them of it.

She seems to be a pivotal bond in their group.

I’m happy for the companionship, and I can tell Codsworth appreciates it as well. He spends a lot of the night talking with Jules, and playing a card game called caravan with the Courier and Charlie. The game seems incredibly complicated, so I don’t bother to learn it. I spend a lot of the time just watching in silence, but eventually Jules came over to sit with me. She seems more gentle than the others, but I can tell she still knows what she’s doing.

“Your friend seems to really care about you. I’ve never known a Mr. Handy to be that way. Must have known you a good while.”

She keeps her gaze forward, watching Codsworth play the card game with Charlie and the Courier. The Courier grows angry and throws his cards on the table, to which Codsworth exclaims “Ha ha!” in triumph. I can’t help but smile.

“Yeah. He was with me before the war.”

I don’t even think about what I’m saying until Jules turns to me.

“What?”

I turn to look at her. She wears a smile, but it’s one of those uncertain, confused sorts of smiles. I smile back to her before looking back towards the others. The light from the lantern casts a warm glow over them, making their expressions seem much more extravagant.

“I was born in 2050, back before the bombs fell. I had Codsworth back then, too.”

I don’t bother to look back over at her, but I can tell she is still looking at me. Her eyes feel like burning lasers on my skin, although I know that’s merely my anxiety.

“How is that possible? You’re not a ghoul, not a mutant… you look… normal.”

Ghouls, mutants… I realize that I truly do have a lot more to see in the world. I shrug to her in response.

“I got into a Vault. Vault 111. They were doing experiments on cryogenic stasis, I guess. Kept me on ice for the past 200 years until I woke up about three weeks ago.”

I look over at Jules and she perks up, turning towards Charlie.

“A Vault, huh? Hey, Charlie! Ronnie says he’s a Vault Dweller, too. Ever heard of Vault 111?”

Charlie turns to look towards us and shrugs.

“111? Nah, never heard of it. I’m from Vault 101 in the Capital Wasteland. Though it’s not much of a home anymore, that’s for certain.”

Charlie goes back to the card game, and Jules turns her attention back to me. She leans against the wall a bit, obviously trying to get comfortable. I smile and look back to her. I notice for the first time that one of her ears looks a bit strange, but the poor lighting of the lantern doesn’t allow me to get a good look. She moves her hair over her ear a moment later.

“So, Ronnie, where are all the others that got into that Vault? I’d imagine there’d be a whole bunch of shiny little frozen babies wandering around here, but you’re the only one we’ve seen.”

I feel a pain in my chest as my heart tightens, her question bringing back memories of that day. I take in a heavy breath and sigh. I don’t look over at her for a few moments, but finally do.

“I’m the only one. The pods malfunctioned and it killed everyone. I don’t know why I was the only one that survived, but… it’s just me.”

I leave out a few select, important details, but I can’t bring myself to talk about them yet. Jules looks a bit confused, a bit sad at what I’m telling her. She looks down for a moment, and I follow her gaze to a ring on her finger.

“So you’re all alone, huh? Well, except for your robot. Guess you can join the band of loners. We’re all in the same spot. That’s why we’ve stuck together so long.”

She looks up at me, and I look back at her. I can tell she’s not telling me everything, but I don’t mention it as I’m doing the same to her. There’s a twinkle in her eye, but I’m not sure what it means. All I really know in that moment is that I’m happy to have them to travel with, even if it’s short-lived.

 

┌──────────────────────────────┐

 **QUEST COMPLETE:** VAULT BLUES

└──────────────────────────────┘

 

 

┌──────────────────────────────┐

 **NEW COMPANION:** JULIETTE ‘JULES’ WARD

└──────────────────────────────┘

┌──────────────────────────────┐

 **NEW COMPANION:** CHARLES ‘CHARLIE’ FLORES

└──────────────────────────────┘

┌──────────────────────────────┐

 **NEW COMPANION:** WALKER ‘THE COURIER’

└──────────────────────────────┘

 

 

┌──────────────────────────────┐

 **NEW MAIN QUEST:** DRUMLIN STANDOFF

└──────────────────────────────┘


	5. Drumlin Standoff

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Just outside Concord and the group finds their first conflict; a drug dealer is holding up an elderly woman and her druggie son for money.

We left the basement at daybreak the following morning. The Courier and Charlie climbed out first, Codsworth and Jules helping me out behind them. I could tell that they had traveled together for some time already, because they seemed to move into formation almost immediately. The Courier would stick to the sides, watching all around them, while Charlie took to the rear. Jules took up the front, leading them wherever it was that they needed to go.

It was at that time that I noticed everyone in our little group had a Pipboy. I knew that Charlie had been in a Vault, like myself, but I had no idea how the Courier or Jules had one. I didn’t bother bringing it up, though; I had a feeling I’d figure out eventually.

We made it through Concord and the wasteland of bodies from the firefight the night prior. The Courier told me that the man in the Museum of Freedom had held them off successfully before the people in the streets – Raiders, as I’d been informed – took off in retreat. He said he’d not seen the man in the museum leave, so it was likely that he’d holed up inside, perhaps with other survivors.

Looking around at the slain bodies around me as we made our way through the streets, I could only hope the Raiders wouldn’t return to cause more issues for those people. I silently vowed to return and help them once I were able.

As we made our way past the Museum of Freedom, a dilapidated church, and a few boarded up houses, I decided to look through my Pipboy as Codsworth hummed cheerfully beside me.

“Jules, where did you say we were going?”

I looked up to her and she glanced back at me with a smile.

“Diamond City! Supposedly the ‘crowning jewel’ of the Commonwealth.”

I nodded, looking back to my Pipboy. The map showed that we had a very, very long way to go before reaching the city. Taking in a deep breath, I lowered my Pipboy back down to my side, just in time to notice the Courier signaling for us to stop moving. Jules and Charlie already had their weapons drawn, but I just crouched a bit lower, keeping my weapon holstered.

In the near silence I could faintly make out talking in the distance. The Courier pointed to a Drumlin Diner up the street, just up a little incline. The others nodded, and slowly our group began to move forward until the voices grew loud enough to make out.

“Pay up, Trudy!”

“I don’t owe you chem-dealing lowlifes anything!”

“I know your son is in there, and he hasn’t paid us off yet. So now you’re the one in his debt, so pay up, or I’m coming in there to make you pay.”

By that point we were hiding behind some nearby bushes. My heart was racing, unsure of what was about to happen. The Courier turned back to look at us, but he focused on Jules. He nodded to her, and she nodded back. She turned back to look at me and raised one finger to her lips before mouthing ‘wait here’. I nodded as she stood up from behind the bush, straightening her clothes a bit, before making her way towards the people standing outside the diner.

“Excuse me, what seems to be the problem here?”

I peaked out slightly from behind the bush to watch Jules as she walked up to the man and woman. I could see the other, gray-haired woman standing inside the diner watching them.

“Whoa, whoa, whoa! This doesn’t have anything to do with you, so back off.”

“Hey, I’m just trying to figure out what’s going on. Why are you harassing the woman inside the diner?”

Jules’ voice was calm and peaceful, like a mediator would be. Even with the man and woman’s guns’ pointed at her.

“Trudy’s junkie son owes us money for all the chems he took. We’re here to collect. And we ain’t leavin’ until Trudy forks over the caps.”

Jules nods, turning to the diner for a moment.

“Mind if I go talk to Trudy? I’ll see what I can do about getting your payment. If I get your payment, you’ll leave her and her son alone?”

“As long as that shithead doesn’t come around askin’ for chems again, yeah, sure, we’ll leave ‘em alone.”

That seems good enough for Jules in that moment, so she walks up to Trudy at the diner. They speak too quietly for me to make out what their saying, but form the way Trudy looks it seems like Jules is reasoning with her fairly well. Within moments I see Trudy hand over a small bag to Jules, who nods and smiles to Trudy. Jules makes her way back to the man with the gun, and hands him the bag.

“There you go, Trudy’s paid up the debt. Count them if you want. Now, a deal’s a deal, right?”

Jules placed one hand on her hip as she spoke, smiling. The man with the gun looks her over for a few moments before lowering his weapon and pocketing the little bag. He turns to his partner for a moment before looking back to Jules.

“Yeah, yeah, a deal’s a deal. We won’t bother them anymore, but that junkie kid of hers better not come askin’ for chems anymore, either.”

“Trust me, I think he’s done with the chems. You’ve got nothing to worry about.”

And with that, the two chem-dealers turned and left, walking down the hill away from the diner. Jules turned back to us and smiled, to which the Courier and Charlie stood up and started walking towards her. I looked back at Codsworth for a moment before following suit.

“You did it again, Juliette. Good on you.”

It was the first time I’d heard the Courier really speak. His voice was low and gruff, but he seemed pleasant with Jules. She shrugged, acting modest.

“Just another day’s work for the Wasteland’s Finest.”

The Courier chuckled in return. They seemed to have some sort of connection, that was for sure.

“Hey!”

The five of us turned to look towards the diner, hearing the woman – Trudy – call. She stood at one of the windows, waving to us. We all took a look at each other before walking towards her.

“Thanks for getting rid of them. It’s good to know there’s actually people out here who you can trust. You all ever need anything, just come on back. Shop’s open to you any time. And if you need a place to stay, you can bunk up. But don’t make it a habit. You want somewhere more permanent, that drive-in across the street would make the perfect spot to set up camp.”

For some reason, what the woman said sparked something inside me in that moment. The thought of rebuilding; bringing the Commonwealth back to the same sort of home that it used to be before the war. Making safe places for people to go and actually call home. I can’t help but smile.

We spend a little bit of time at the Drumlin Diner, Jules trying to haggle with Trudy over some supplies. Charlie spends most of his time talking with Patrick, Trudy’s son, and talking him through his withdraw. The Courier sits outside, smoking a cigarette and just looking over the landscape. I sit at one of the booths looking at my gun, not really sure what else to do.

“Sir, it seems your new friends are quite the positive influence.”

I looked up at Codsworth, offering him a smile. He hovered next to the booth I sat in, holding a hubflower in one of his claws.

“Yeah, they sure are, buddy. They’ve already made more of an impact on the people here than myself.”

Codsworth appears to look back at Jules and Charlie for a moment, before turning back to me. He extends the hubflower to me, to which I smile and take it.

“You know, pal, I’ve been thinking. I want to do more, like they do. Help out. Make the Commonwealth a safer place. What Trudy said about the drive-in, it got me thinking. Why don’t we try to set up safe places for survivors? Rebuild.”

Codsworth appears to think for a moment.

“Master Ronnie, that’s a great idea! Why don’t we go check out the old Starlight drive-in miss Trudy spoke of? I’m sure miss Jules and her companions wouldn’t mind, as they seem pretty busy at the moment.”

I take a look over at Charlie and Jules, noticing how involved they are already, before turning back to Codsworth. I nod in agreement, pushing myself up from the booth. I feel something in that moment, as I stand up and gather my gear once more, that I hadn’t felt in a long time.

Hope.

 

┌──────────────────────────────┐

 **QUEST COMPLETE:** DRUMLIN STANDOFF

└──────────────────────────────┘

 

┌──────────────────────────────┐

 **NEW MAIN QUEST:** HOPE AT STARLIGHT

└──────────────────────────────┘


	6. Ambuscade

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The group sets off from Starlight Drive-in towards the remains of Lexington.

For the next few hours we traveled down the road out of Starlight Drive-In, heading towards what once was the grand city of Lexington. We took a round-about way, however, passing some train tracks and a huge ass landfill. The Courier told us that the landfill likely was full of molerats and I refused to go there. Besides, it was a landfill; surely there was nothing important there.

Eventually we made it to what used to be a retirement home outside east Lexington; Mystic Pines. I’d never had any reason to visit before the war, but I remembered seeing it many times when I traveled to and from Lexington. There were hardly ever people there aside from a couple visitors. I never once saw the elderly outside, which I found odd.

By the time we started to approach the retirement home the sun was beginning to set. Charlie suggested we hole up there for the night, to which I begrudgingly agreed. Something about staying in what once was a retirement home sat poorly with me, but I wasn’t going to complain.

I spent about an hour or so exploring the main level of the place with Jules, looking at each of the rooms and going through the leftover belongings. It was sad to see, really.

“I can’t believe how small these rooms are. They packed these old folks in here like…”

“Like they were just waiting for them to die?”

“I wasn’t going to put it that way, but… yeah, now that you mention it.”

Jules sighs lightly, rubbing at the back of her neck. I finish going through a dresser drawer in the little room we were looking at, before getting up and exiting the room with her.

“It’s weird to think that we treat our elderly better now than they did back then. Hell, there’s not usually that many elderly folks around, actually. You’re lucky to make it past 40 anymore.”

I look over at Jules as we walk down the corridor towards the center courtyard where Charlie and the Courier have set up a small bonfire. Our conversation leaves me feeling a bit restless, but I try not to show it. I know that I have to start earning my keep with them, and constantly appearing weak isn’t going to get me anywhere.

“What the hell is that?!”

When we get back to the courtyard the first thing that I see is Charlie roasting something over the fire. I pinch my nose, the smell nearly making me nauseous. Jules chuckles at me, and Charlie sighs.

“Really? It’s roaster molerat. You have to eat what you can find out here. If you want fancy food, you better start looking for Caps.”

The thought of eating those damned molerats nearly makes me vomit, but I compose myself, taking a seat in an old armchair next to Jules. I look anywhere but the fire.

“Caps? What are Caps?”

I hear Charlie sigh again, but it’s Jules that speaks this time.

“The currency in the wasteland. There’s prewar money, too, which you’re probably used to. But people use Caps now. They’re bottlecaps, mostly off of Nuka Cola bottles. Or, if you’re from the Mojave like Walker and I, there’s also Sunset Sarsaparilla bottlecaps. They all work the same, though.”

This concept boggles my mind, but I let it go. In a way it makes a bit of sense; bills and coins from before the war would’ve been easily destroyed or lost. After the war, Nuka Cola bottles would’ve been everywhere. Easy to get their caps from. And since it’s unlikely any bottling plants are still operational, it means their supply is also finite. A fairly decent monetary source.

“You know, the whole reason that I went to the Mojave was to get into New Vegas, a big gambling city. Rumor had it that if you got in you could make your future there. And that’s what I was going for. Met up with Jules and the Courier along the way, and we just stuck together.”

I’m a bit surprised that Charlie opens up, but I find it comforting. Curious, I lean forward a bit before asking for more.

“A gambling city, huh? Did you make it?”

The three of them share looks for a moment before Charlie shrugs lightly, turning his attention back to the cooking molerat.

“Yeah, yeah… we did. Didn’t make a fortune, though. Didn’t gain much of anything. So we left. Long story short, we wound up back in DC before heading here.”

I find the discussion fascinating, and prod for more.

“But why did you come here if—“

The Courier stops me, shaking his head.

“Hey, you wanna find out more, you stick with us a while. That’s enough story time for now. We need to eat up then head to bed; get in plenty of sleep before travel tomorrow.”

I’m a bit disappointed I’m unable to get more information from them, but that ends the conversation for the night. The rest of the evening is uneventful, as we eat the disgusting roasted molerat before heading to bed. I help the Courier and Jules move some mattresses out to the courtyard to sleep on.

I drift off to sleep surprisingly well, feeling the comfort of my new group of friends around me.

It’s short-lived however, as I wake up to the sound of Jules screaming.

“Let me go! Let go you fucking pigs, or I’ll—“

As I sit up and open my eyes I see someone clad in leather armor and rags punch Jules across the face, knocking her out. Suddenly enraged and not aware of my surroundings, I call out.

“Hey, what are you—“

Before I can get up, I’m hit in the face, just like Jules. I don’t pass out right away, though, and fuzzily turn to look at the person who hit me. I get one glimpse of his dirty, scarred face before he hits me again, knocking me out cold.

\---

I have no idea how long I’m out, but when I wake up again it’s daylight. I can feel that my jaw is bruised as I move my head around, eyes squinting from the sunlight. As my vision finally comes back I can see that I’m still at Mystic Pines, tied up to a post. Nearby is Charlie, who’s also tied to a post and still passed out. I don’t see Jules or the Courier anywhere, and I start to grow increasingly nervous as I try to break free from the restraints tying me to the post.

“Charlie! Charlie, get up! Get the fuck up! HEY!”

I keep shouting at him until he finally starts to move, slowly coming to. When he finally realizes what’s going on he jumps a bit, shocked, looking around before looking back to me. I can now see that his left eye is a bit swollen and red, and he’s got dried blood under his nose. He begins to fight against the restraints, trying desperately to escape. He then sighs, calms down, and stairs down at the ground, eyes closed.

“I don’t know what happened, I guess some of those… what? Raiders? Came in here and ambushed us, they must’ve taken the Courier and Jules. Fuck, what do you think they’re doing with that? Do you think they’re okay? Man, why did they leave us here and just… take…”

I trail off as Charlie’s hands break free from the restraints. He turns back to me with a smile, waving his hands at me as if I should be impressed. To be honest, I am.

A moment later he comes to my side and unties my restraints, allowing me to escape the pole at last. (Those are words I never thought I’d be able to apply to myself.)

The two of us stand there in the room for a few moments stretching.

“So, Raiders. Took Jules and Walker, and left us here for dead.”

I nod back at Charlie, who starts to rummage through our old campsite in the courtyard. He doesn’t turn up much, except for a few Stimpacks and a pistol. He hands me the pistol.

“Well, guess we’re gonna have to go find them then. You ready for a fight, Luck?”

The nonchalance in Charlie’s voice really throws me off, but I nod back to him. We were a team now, and if our team was in trouble, then we had to help them. Taking in a deep breath, I look over towards the front door of Mystic Pines.

Things were about to get a lot more complicated.

 

 

 ┌──────────────────────────────┐

 **QUEST COMPLETE:** AMBUSCADE

└──────────────────────────────┘

 

┌──────────────────────────────┐

 **COMPANION LOST:** JULIETTE ‘JULES’ WARD

└──────────────────────────────┘

┌──────────────────────────────┐

 **COMPANION LOST:** WALKER ‘THE COURIER’

└──────────────────────────────┘

 

┌──────────────────────────────┐

 **NEW MAIN QUEST:** SUPER DUPER SHIT SHOW

└──────────────────────────────┘

┌──────────────────────────────┐

 **NEW SIDE QUEST:** WELCOME TO THE FAMILY

└──────────────────────────────┘


End file.
